Production data communication interfaces sometimes lack sufficient on-board programmable read-only memory for machines to boot using the internet small computer system interface. As a result, typical systems use a multi-stage boot process. In the first stage a small boot kernel, capable of configuring a production data communication interface and internet small computer system interface, loads from a local device. In the second stage the full operating system is loaded using the internet small computer system interface over the production data communication path from another storage device. This multi-stage process requires systems to maintain multiple storage devices for the sole purpose of booting the machine.